The last time I checked, it was the Twenty-First Century. The human race has made major strides in health care with artificial hearts and vaccinations, technology with wi-fi and electric cars and reaching to the deepest parts of our ocean and galaxy. Yet in this modern time, women are still not getting the rights they deserve? Somebody, please tell me how women's rights are still being trampled upon despite the fact that we take up half of the entire human population.
Social issues are happening and relevant. Women's rights have been a social issue since the beginning of time. (Eve being created from the rib of a man, are you kidding me?) Women have fought to gain the right to their properties, to attend school, to drive cars, to vote, to take part in sports and to serve in The Armed Force. But here we are with Siri, Uber, and pens with millions of colors and we are still dealing with female rights? Women are still facing the hardships of child marriage, sex trafficking, gaining rights to equal pay, equal job opportunities, sexual harassment, rape culture and backlash, reproductive rights, established medical treatment for women and their children, proper education and political involvement, lack of parental leave, inadequate representation in politics, businesses, entertainment (DEEP BREATH IN), and technology fields (BIG SIGH OUT). It is astonishing and disheartening to understand the hurdles women have overcome to only have so much more to face.
As the humorous Kimmy Schmidt once stated, "Women really can be anything.
Let us also take a moment to understand how much harder these freedoms and equalities are for women of black, Hispanic or Asian ethnicity. For every 78 cents a white woman makes to the dollar of a white man, an Asian woman receives 75 cents, a black woman works for 70 cents, a Native Pacific woman makes 66 cents, a Native American woman receives 60 cents and a Latina woman will receive a whopping 51 cents according to Oregon Center for Public Policy. There is no scientific fact to support the work ethic or intelligence of the decision to pay a woman, more so, a woman of color, HALF of what their white male counterpart makes for the same work.
Take this a step further from the wage gap to the absence of protection from women experiencing the fear and realities of rape and sexual abuse every day. 1 out of every 6 women has been a victim of rape in America according to RAINN. To further this statistic, transgender college students are even at a higher risk to be sexually abused: 18% women and 12% men. But of all the people in America, Native American women are the most likely to be raped or sexually abused. And if these statistics aren't bad enough, here are some modern day laws that affect female rape victims:
In North Carolina, if a woman consents to a man and then refuses to consent later, a man cannot be found guilty.
In Arkansas, women of rape have to ask their rapist FOR PERMISSION FOR AN ABORTION.
In India and the Bahamas, husbands can rape their wives legally.
If these issues don't bother you, don't forget that women are subjected to only being focused on due to their looks. The modern day woman has to be skinny, yet curvy. Have shiny straight or perfectly curled long hair. Impeccable makeup, but not too much makeup. There are always diets and " proper nutrition" brands targeted to women. There are even waist trainers now, backed by the Kardashians and Jenners, of course. I thought those went out of style when people realized that they were hazardous for your body...? Women must uphold their looks and weight and style to grab the attention of whatever she desires today. Can we all just look in the mirror, women and men, and understand that some of us may just look different from others? But hey, social media and magazines and Hollywood are all selling us the real image right? Let's just stick with what they're doing for the self-esteem of women.
As I have barely touched upon, it is obvious there are major issues for women across the globe to face and fight. As a woman myself, I find that I may be of some help to those who may feel confused on what to do about women's issue. I'll tell you what we women really want.
We want to stop the trade of women for sex and child marriage. We are not objects to be sold or property to own. We want equal pay for the job that a man does. Pay based on skills and qualifications, not on what's in between one's legs. We want to attend parties and go out at night without the fear of being raped or abused. And if that does happen, we want our country's government to protect us from our abusers and give us the help we deserve. We want the rights to our own bodies. I'm not sitting here telling men what and what not to do with their penises and ejaculations. We also would like the medical treatment that we need.
Men, this is not a hate post against you. Women of feminism may alter in their beliefs but we all believe that we deserve the rights that are given to you. It is only just and fair. And to women? Keep fighting. Keep perservering. Stick with each other and stay strong. "I raise up my voice—not so I can shout, but so that those without a voice can be heard...we cannot succeed when half of us are held back." ―Malala Yousafzai
